ORNL, collaborators to tackle complex questions in biology with math

Scientists at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory are contributing to a new national initiative focused on using math to answer key questions in biology about the intricate mechanisms that influence how genes are expressed as physical and behavioral traits.

The National Science Foundation and the Simons Foundation launched the initiative with the naming of four research centers for mathematics of complex biological systems in late May. ORNL is working with regional collaborators through the new Southeast Center for Mathematics and Biology (SCMB), headquartered at the Georgia Institute of Technology. 

"We are glad to have ORNL as part of the team,” Center Director and Georgia Tech Professor of Mathematics Christine Heitsch said. “The laboratory’s advanced supercomputing infrastructure allows biological data analytics and predictive modeling at an unprecedented scale.” 

Applying a machine learning approach, an ORNL-Georgia Tech team will study protein folding with the goal of creating predictive models to identify protein segments likely to transition from disorder to order. Julie Mitchell, deputy director of ORNL’s Biosciences Division, will leverage her expertise in quantitative biology to co-lead this seed project with Matthew Torres, Georgia Tech associate professor of biological sciences.

Demystifying through math

The ability of an organism to modulate order and disorder in proteins acts like a switch to turn proteins on or off. Disordered proteins are thought to operate at the boundary of evolution, as new families of proteins can evolve new functions this way.

“Studying these phenomena from a theoretical math perspective could yield new insights into the fundamental mechanisms at work,” Mitchell said. “There are many opportunities for discovery at this critical interface of mathematics and biology, with potential applications in fields like bioenergy and human health.”

Unlocking the secrets of how proteins undergo structural transitions will take a joint effort, with ORNL scientists leading model development and Georgia Tech researchers conducting physical experiments to validate and inform the model. Junior researchers will contribute as key team members, including a mathematics postdoctoral scholar from ORNL and a biosystems graduate student from Georgia Tech.

Training a new generation

Cross-disciplinary training of students and postdoctoral associates to build research capacity is central to the mission of the Southeast Center for Mathematics and Biology. Partners from Clemson University, Duke University, Tulane University, the University of Florida, and the University of South Florida will participate with senior and junior researchers in six other SCMB seed projects addressing important aspects of the genotype-to-phenotype pipeline. 

NSF-Simons Research Centers for Mathematics of Complex Biological Systems are also based at Harvard University; the University of California, Irvine; and Northwestern University. Collectively, the four centers will foster a new generation of scientists equipped to tackle questions that cannot be answered today.

UT-Battelle manages ORNL for DOE’s Office of Science. The Office of Science is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States, and is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, please visit http://energy.gov/science/.